Washington: In a rarest of the rare gesture, US President Barack Obama personally walked down to the White House portico to see off Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after a meeting with him at the Oval Office.

Those familiar with the strict White House protocol said that this was the rarest of the rare gesture by the President, which they have not seen in the recent past.

Officials in the past have noted that Obama has great respect for the Prime Minister not only as a great leader and a statesman but also as an economist. The two leaders have enjoyed a great personal equation.

Obama had hosted his presidency's first State Dinner for the Prime Minister in November 2009 and has described India and US as the indispensable partners of the 21st century.

In his remarks, Obama praised the Prime Minister.

"He has been a great friend and partner to the United States and to me personally during his tenure as Prime Minister of India," Obama said after meeting Singh yesterday.

"Across the board, Prime Minister Singh has been an outstanding partner," he added.

"Thank you so much for all your efforts to continue to strengthen ties between our two countries," Obama told Singh.

Singh too praised Obama for his commitment to the India-US relationship.

"During the time that I have been Prime Minister, and particularly during the time that President Obama and I have worked together, I think President Obama has made an outstanding contribution to strengthening, widening and deepening of our cooperation in diverse fields," Singh said.

"In the President, the United States has a leader who realises and recognises the contribution that a resurgent India can make not only to fighting poverty, but also to global peace and prosperity," Singh said.

NEW DELHI: Even in extremely tense moments, Prime Minister Mamohan Singh displays minimum emotion. But on Friday he would've steeled himself ahead of meeting Barack Obama, knowing his every nuance is under scrutiny.

The test is all the more severe on foreign soil amid hectic international engagements that include an encounter with Pakistani PM Nawaz Sharif in the wake of escalating terror strikes and opposition attacks.

If Rahul Gandhi's remarks amount to public humiliation for the PM and his government, Singh will take care not to let it show. Congress president Sonia Gandhi's soothing words must be helping his efforts. She called him to reassure the party's support. Sources said the call was to assuage any hurt.

Even Rahul, in his letter to the PM written today, emphasized his respect for Singh and his leadership.

The Congress decision to release contents of the letter pointed to damage control efforts against the backdrop of the rising perception that the Congress vice-president's dramatic performance was a direct humiliation of the PM's office.

The letter from the Congress vice-president was meant to emphasize that his defiance was over a matter of principle rather than disrespect the Prime Minister.

Statements released on Singh's behalf from the US indicate that the attempt was succeeding. A reference to Rahul having written to him and the promise that the Cabinet will consider his views on Singh's return don't signal defiance or a bruised ego.

The manner Rahul rubbished the ordinance to help convicted legislators far surpassed the tongue lashings CPM boss Prakash Karat handed out to Singh over the nuclear deal with the US during UPA-1.

The incident shreds what remains of Singh's prime ministerial authority - already eroded by scams ranging from Commonwealth Games to Coalgate. Many of his Cabinet colleagues apparently resent PMO directions.

But the stiffest cost the PM will pay is in the eyes of the public that has in the past seen him as a PLU, a man who enshrines middle class values of hard work and honesty.

Singh, increasingly seen as a leader who failed to check corruption, will find his esteem further lowered by Rahul's actions. Not too long ago, Singh would have been expected to stand up to such an ordinance rather than swimming with the political class.

The alacrity with which Congress ministers - including many who didn't bat an eyelid in ratifying the ordinance in the Cabinet - raced to greet Rahul's criticism of the government can only have made matters worse.

It was left to Sanjaya Baru, a former media advisor to the PM, to bat for Singh, saying Rahul's remarks smacked of insubordination and that Singh must immediately quit. The consensus in Congress is that Singh is unlikely to do so. In fact, Baru himself said the PM has the ability to take knocks on his chin.

The PM's dilemma could be acute. On the one hand, trashing of the ordinance is a public insult. But throwing a fit over defending the rights of convicted legislators is hardly a noble cause. It does not seem an attractive option.

Till now, differences between Congress's first family and the government have been carefully managed. Sonia Gandhi has ensured that no slight is ever offered to the PM and scrupulously stuck to protocol.

Only recently, on UPA-2's fourth anniversary, Sonia praised Singh for remaining dignified in the face of vitriolic opposition attacks. She has always emphasized that Singh will complete his term.

Rahul, too, has been deferential. Asked a few months ago about his then impending new party responsibilities, he said it would be up to his "two bosses" - Sonia and Singh.

The PM reciprocated, dismissing suggestions that he and Sonia are not on the same page over legislation like food security and land acquisition. On Rahul, Singh went to the extent of saying he is ready to work under the leader.

Genuflection to 10 Janpath hardly evokes comment in Congress. It is pretty much the done thing. The PM is unlikely to misread the mood in his party. But he may hold a grouse that the ordinance isn't his brainchild and he had gone along with what Congress wanted. This is, as far as can be ascertained, what happened.

Some shrewder Congress brains felt Singh was sore at what he feels is inadequate acknowledgement that the policies he shaped during UPA-1 helped the party win a handsome victory in 2009.

For all his hardy political armour, Singh is quite sensitive when the fires of controversy reach him. He bristles at being attacked for corruption by the opposition and is wary of being named in any scam, be it 2G or Coalgate.

This is crap and eyewash..............US and Euro dont care abt such things, they are more action and fact oriented. US assessment of Indians is that we are big on gestures and personal touch, so just fcvking up our hearts and minds. I also noted that Barack criticized Pakistan for Jammu Army attack and didn't do anything else. Its business as usual with all players, and may give MMS Nobel Peace Prize along with Nawaz Shariff in return for giving up Siachen, as has been speculated on BR Forums for long. In aftermath of Jammu attack, MMS even said that Peace Talks with Paki wont be hit.

This is crap and eyewash..............US and Euro dont care abt such things, they are more action and fact oriented. US assessment of Indians is that we are big on gestures and personal touch, so just fcvking up our hearts and minds. I also noted that Barack criticized Pakistan for Jammu Army attack and didn't do anything else. Its business as usual with all players, and may give MMS Nobel Peace Prize along with Nawaz Shariff in return for giving up Siachen, as has been speculated on BR Forums for long. In aftermath of Jammu attack, MMS even said that Peace Talks with Paki wont be hit.

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rightly said.US cannot be trusted. They won't help others without seeing any personal gains. They don't want to let go of Pakistan but also don't want to let go of india

rightly said.US cannot be trusted. They won't help others without seeing any personal gains. They don't want to let go of Pakistan but also don't want to let go of india

Click to expand...

As a taxpayer, what would you feel if the Indian Government will spend Billions of Dollars on a foreign country without anything in return? Like maybe helping a new independent Scotland put up a nuclear power station with Indian money but spent 100% on foreign construction materials, 100% Scottish construction company, French nuclear company and hiring 100% Scottish workers, without any commitment from Scotland for any kind of diplomatic support or special bilateral trade agreement like giving special access to the Scottish market of Indian products, while Millions on Indians back home wallow in abject poverty...

So what???
Rarest of rare gesture for what???
business??
America made it clear that they believe in the policy of good terrorists,bad terrorists and your terrorists and mine terrorists like there paki friends believe in good tallibani and bad talibani.
so this rarest of rare sh8t is just for billions of dollars of nuke deal.

Obama has given a final goodbye to MMS. If you guys may recall my earlier posts regarding MMS and his horoscope, I had stated that this man became PM of India during the mahadasha of Rahu and Rahu has a very bad habit of making a person loose complete power to the extent of sending the native to jail after its bhukti period ends. MMS had his Rajyayog thru Rahu and he is now facing the humiliation which Rahu gives to a person at its end of bhukti period like PVN Rao.
Long Long back my grandfather had told me about the future of India as is foretold based on astrology. I know most of you will laugh at at it. The arrival of muslims and british was foretold and so was the independence in 1947. As per my grandfather, we are supposed to have 13 maunibabas till we actually overcome the ill effects of the invaders after independence. Today we have 13th President and 13th PM. The nation is going to do the terahnavi of congress and foreign powers which includes the italian waitress. All these maunibababs were supposed to be ruled by asura planets meaning they will have the rajyayog based on planets like rahu, ketu, shani, shukra. But the 14th Raja of India will be ruled by DAV planets like Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Moon & Mercury.
I have studied the horoscope of Narendra Modi which includes his diff DOB and times. He has the horoscope of a person who can become either an acsetic or a chakarvarty Raja. Now based on the life which he has lived till date we can very accurately choose the right DOB and time. He can completely transform India as the 14th PM of India. But the problem is that was this 13th for the President or the PM? The last 13 PM of India were/are:-
1. Chacha rangila
2. Lal Bahdur Shastri
3. Indira Gandhi
4. Morarji Desai
5. Charan Singh
6. Rajiv Gandhi
7. VP Singh
8. Chandrashekher
9. PV Narshimarao
10. Gowda
11. Gujral
12. Bajpayee
13. MMS

who will be the 14th knight? who will be guided by gods themselves to save this nation?
When the independce of India and Pakistan was announced, the most senior astrologers including Rajapalli Radhakrisnan who was first Indian Governor General asked Nehru to delay the announcement of independence by one week. But Rangila chacha was not willing for it as he stated that after Pakistan becoming independent, we can't keep the nation ghulaam for another seven days while we had a council of ministers already working since 1946.
When Pakistan became independent, Aries was acsendent which means military will rule and wars and strife will be common place. SO forced by Chacha Rangila, midnight of 14/15th night was chosen which will have Tauras as ascendent but the Kaalsarp yog still prevelant which will stub the growth of India for next 50yrs. Rangila chacha had his way and in 1997 came the Y2K problem which established India as the strongest software power of the world and the kaal sarp yog ended. India broke out of the traditional 4% growth to zoom to 8.5% by 2004.
Now there is a problem. being born as a nation under tauras sign, India will always have people who are dalits, those who write like movement of rahu from right to left and asuraaas who will decide its destiny. Shani and Shura rule such people. Two languages are written from right to left, arabic and hebrew. Also bcoz it is sign ruled by Guru Shukra of asuraas, and loves women of low morals, this nation will always have one or the other low moral women governing it unless we have a man who is celibate or brahmaachari as reqd by raashi lord Shukra.
Nehru did not have his wife and was of low morals, Indira did not have her husband and was of low morals, Morarji was a widower,Shastri died soon and all married PMs died early or were widowers except for MMS. But he became PM at the age of 73 yrs when as per our astrology a man and woman are condidered celibate.
NAMO is passing thru his shani shadesati and will find it difficult to be PM of India but since his Raashi is Vrishchak and Shani never troubles such a native, he may become our PM 100% provided the elections are announced before 15Th Dec after that Sushma will have better chance to be our PM.

So what???
Rarest of rare gesture for what???
business??
America made it clear that they believe in the policy of good terrorists,bad terrorists and your terrorists and mine terrorists like there paki friends believe in good tallibani and bad talibani.
so this rarest of rare sh8t is just for billions of dollars of nuke deal.

I notice that Indians in general are hyper sensitive to protocol and frequently use words like "humiliated", etc, especially when talking about the PM and his party.

This is party politics and even in the same party people are going to have serious differences with one another over matters.
Especially in a country like India - you have to have a thick skin to survive in politics.
Rahul has every right to state an opinion that goes against his party leaders.

Its a sign of a healthy democracy when even senior leaders can be questioned,

rightly said.US cannot be trusted. They won't help others without seeing any personal gains. They don't want to let go of Pakistan but also don't want to let go of india

Click to expand...

They would dump Pakis once India is on board.However Indian mindset of non-alignment (read sitting on the fence) and inability to commit inspite of any
overtures from U S prevents the latter to move on Pakistan.I am confident US would prefer India to Pakistan as an ally.The ball is in our court.

I notice that Indians in general are hyper sensitive to protocol and frequently use words like "humiliated", etc, especially when talking about the PM and his party.

This is party politics and even in the same party people are going to have serious differences with one another over matters.
Especially in a country like India - you have to have a thick skin to survive in politics.Rahul has every right to state an opinion that goes against his party leaders.

Its a sign of a healthy democracy when even senior leaders can be questioned,

They would dump Pakis once India is on board.However Indian mindset of non-alignment (read sitting on the fence) and inability to commit inspite of any
overtures from U S prevents the latter to move on Pakistan.I am confident US would prefer India to Pakistan as an ally.The ball is in our court.

Sir, i dont believe US has spent Billions on India. World Bank Loans are required to paid back. There is no evidence of US spending here.In fact , we have spent billions on US Aircraft deals like Boeing 777, 787, C-130J and C-17. In future, Chinook and Apache Copter deals also will be cleared.

Sir, horoscope reading has many nuances, and to ensure the reliability of this science, the skill of person making prediction also is very important. Just the other day, one gentleman in BR forums had posted saying India is in ascendancy and the GSLV rocket (scheduled for launch the next day) would do well.